Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 327

327. Those Who Wait, Those Who Move (4)

With King Sejong’s approval secured, construction commenced swiftly, undeterred by the midwinter season.

The primary impetus for initiating construction during winter was the royal family’s aversion to accommodating the Westerners within the palace walls.

Consequently, the designated site for the research institute lay between District 51 and Mapo Dock, approximating present-day Wonhyo-dong.

Hyang, overseeing the site selection, voiced his regret, his face etched with longing.

“Ideally, I’d erect it at the base of Gwanak Mountain… but the transportation infrastructure remains inadequate…”

After a moment of contemplation, Hyang resolved with newfound determination.

“Just wait until a bridge spans the Han River! I’m relocating the research institute to Gwanak Mountain immediately!”

Hyang still felt the sting of the intense entrance exam pressure he faced in the 21st century, a consequence of his exceptional intellect.

* * *

Concurrently with the construction’s commencement in Hanseong, the Challenger-ho relocated from Dalido to the Mokpo Naval Base.

The sailors, having endured quarantine on Dalido, voiced their discontent upon disembarking.

“To think we were confined to that ship longer than a horse’s gestation period!”

“A colt receives better treatment than us!”

The horses procured from Alexandria had been promptly unloaded and transported following veterinary clearance.

The sailors, visibly disgruntled, underwent another health inspection before receiving their leave passes and bonuses, promptly departing the naval base.

“Fancy a drink?”

“Is alcohol your priority? Your children have likely forgotten your appearance!”

“Let’s postpone the drinking!”

The sailors, bidding farewell to their comrades, hastened home to reunite with their families.

Following the sailors’ departure, only the alchemists and mathematicians remained.

The translator from the Mansur Merchant Company, along with the Joseon interpreter who accompanied them on the Challenger-ho, briefed them on the upcoming schedule.

“You will proceed to Hanseong by ship from here. Upon arrival, you will be granted an audience with His Majesty the King and subsequently assigned to your respective workplaces.”

The alchemists and scholars acknowledged the translator’s instructions.

Observing this, the translator continued.

“Any inquiries?”

In response, one of the monks raised his hand.

“What troubles you?”

The monk inquired with a concerned expression.

“Must we undergo another bathing ritual upon reaching Hanseong?”

Without consulting the Joseon interpreter, the translator promptly responded.

“Assuredly!”

At the translator’s affirmation, the monks exchanged troubled glances.

“Oh, dear…”

Unlike the alchemists and mathematicians from the Eastern Roman Empire, who embraced bathing culture, the monks from Western Europe found the act inherently unpleasant.

Consequently, the monks had clashed with the sailors during every supply and rest stop before and after their departure from Suez.

“Refusal to bathe and subsequent disease transmission will result in immediate disposal into the sea!”

These were the monks who had resisted bathing until Oh Ha-seok’s threat.

* * *

Thus, the vessel carrying the alchemists, scholars, and monks departed Mokpo, bound for Jemulpo.

Upon reaching Jemulpo, the alchemist contingent journeyed up the Han River to Mapo.

Arriving in Mapo, the group recuperated from their voyage in accommodations provided by the court.

During their respite, the female servants assigned to the lodgings faced considerable hardship.

This stemmed from the sheer volume of laundry generated by the alchemist party.

The female servants, wielding their washing bats, assailed the soiled laundry, muttering curses.

“Damn it! Even the rags discarded by beggars beneath the Cheonggyecheon bridge are cleaner than this!”

* * *

The alchemists and scholars, attired in garments prepared in advance by the court, promptly began documenting their experiences.

-The Joseon people exhibit a pronounced predilection for bathing. Even sailors on voyages partake in bathing upon docking at a port.

The Joseon people’s fixation on bathing is devoid of religious underpinnings.

Following discourse through an Arab translator, it was ascertained that the Joseon people attribute the prevention of infectious diseases to maintaining bodily cleanliness through bathing.

-The Joseon people’s conviction that bathing prevents disease transcends mere custom.

If the translator’s rendition is accurate, it represents knowledge acquired through empirical observation.

Therefore, verification is deemed imperative.

The Joseon people’s lifestyle encompasses several distinctive facets, notably the toilet.

Barring the truly impoverished commoners, they install toilets crafted from iron or porcelain in their residences.

This toilet possesses a unique mechanism; upon usage, the act of pulling a string triggers the release of water stored in a tank, effectively flushing away waste.

In our current lodging, a dedicated servant is tasked with replenishing the water in this toilet tank.

According to the translator, households lacking the means to employ a servant resort to filling a large jar with water and utilizing it to replenish the tank before or after using the toilet.

The alchemists and scholars meticulously chronicled their observations and experiences during those fleeting days.

Subsequently, their records became an invaluable historical resource for comprehending the lifestyle of Joseon during this era.

* * *

It was only after five days that the alchemist party was granted an audience with Sejong.

The delay, ludicrously, stemmed from the protracted drying time of the laundered garments.

They could not present themselves to Sejong clad solely in trousers and a jacket, necessitating their confinement to their lodgings until the clothes were thoroughly dry.

On the morning of the fifth day, the alchemist party, resplendent in well-dried attire, boarded a carriage dispatched by the court and proceeded towards Hanseong.

The occupants of the carriage gazed out the windows with rapt attention at the passing scenery.

Traversing Sungnyemun [the main gate of Seoul], where railroad construction was actively underway, the alchemist party entered Hanseong and erupted in exclamations of awe.

“Oh, God!”

“Incredible!”

The coachmen and escorting soldiers chuckled at the alchemists’ excitement as they observed the train traversing the railroad.

“Hicks…”

Whether cognizant of this reaction or not, the alchemist party remained fixated on the ‘iron horse.’ As they watched it recede into the distance, a question arose among them.

“Why are we needed in a country capable of creating such marvels?”

“Are we truly indispensable?”

“Shouldn’t we be the ones seeking knowledge instead?”

* * *

With a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, the alchemist party passed through Gwanghwamun [the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace] and assembled in the courtyard before Geunjeongjeon Hall [the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace].

“His Majesty the King is arriving!”

At the eunuch’s proclamation, the translator hastily instructed the party.

“The King of Joseon has arrived! Offer your respects immediately!”

Following the translator’s directive, the alchemist party bowed.

Sejong, seated upon a chair that had been pre-positioned, addressed the bowing assembly.

“You may rise.”

Upon hearing Sejong’s command through the translator, the party turned their gaze towards him. Sejong, scrutinizing the unfamiliar visages, commenced speaking.

“Welcome to Joseon. I am the King of Joseon.”

After hearing Sejong’s words through the translator, the party bowed again.

“It is an honor to meet the monarch of the Joseon Kingdom!”

In a complex exchange necessitating translators and interpreters, Sejong addressed the party.

“Our Joseon stands in need of your knowledge. Our Joseon does not undervalue the worth of knowledge. However, we also disapprove of idleness. Therefore, I expect you to exert your utmost efforts.”

Following Sejong’s request through the translator, the party bowed respectfully.

“We shall endeavor to do our best.”

Upon hearing the party’s response, Sejong turned to Hyang, who stood behind him.

“Managing them falls under the purview of the Crown Prince, so henceforth, the Crown Prince shall oversee their activities.”

“Yes, Father.”

Hyang, stepping forward at Sejong’s behest, addressed the party.

“I am the Prince of Joseon, the individual responsible for your management.”

At Hyang’s words, articulated clearly in Latin, albeit somewhat stilted, the party regarded him with astonishment.

‘He speaks Latin?’

‘While not perfectly fluent, it is indeed Latin!’

Observing the party’s surprise, the translator interjected.

“What are you doing! This is the First Prince of Joseon! Show your respects immediately!”

Regaining their composure, the party hastily paid their respects.

“We greet the Prince!”

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well. As Father has stated, Joseon requires your knowledge, and I trust you will dedicate yourselves to your tasks.”

“Yes.”

Following the party’s affirmation, Hyang broached the most pressing matter.

“I understand that there are Catholic monks among you. Identify yourselves.”

At Hyang’s inquiry, the five monks congregated on one side stepped forward.

“We are they.”

As the monks presented themselves, Hyang immediately cut to the chase.

“What is your intended purpose in our Joseon? Academic research or proselytizing?”

The eldest among them responded.

“Our primary objective is academic research.”

“Primarily… What is your name?”

“My name is Angelo.”

“Very well, Angelo. You mean primarily academic research, with proselytizing as a secondary aim?”

“….”

Hyang offered a wry smile at Angelo’s silence.

“Understood. According to your scriptures, your God commanded, ‘Go and preach the gospel to the ends of the earth,’ thus you cannot relinquish proselytizing.”

‘Mom, I’m sorry!’

Hyang silently apologized, thinking of his 21st-century mother, an active deaconess in her church.

Meanwhile, not only the monks but also the alchemists and mathematicians, who were Orthodox Christians, were taken aback by Hyang’s words.

‘He is familiar with the Bible?’

‘I was under the impression that the people of the East adhere to Buddhism; how does he possess knowledge of the Bible?’

Hyang, observing the collective surprise, pressed on.

“According to the commandments imparted by your God, ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ And another commandment dictates, ‘Honor your father and mother.’ Is this accurate?”

“It is.”

“Then I pose this question. In our Joseon, it is paramount not only to be filial to one’s parents but also to revere one’s ancestors, the parents of one’s parents. Consequently, we prepare food with sincerity on designated holidays to express our gratitude to our ancestors. Does this align with your commandments, or does it conflict with them?”

“Uh…”

Angelo found himself at a loss for a response.

Hyang’s question was ingeniously crafted.

To assert a conflict would invite criticism for contravening the commandment to honor one’s parents. Conversely, affirming alignment would expose them to accusations of worshiping deceased ancestors as gods, thereby violating the commandment ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’

Observing Angelo’s struggle, Hyang reached a decision.

“Until your Pope arrives at a resolution, proselytizing is forbidden. Are there any objections?”

“No, none whatsoever.”

Angelo replied with resignation.

Indeed, not only Angelo but all the accompanying monks shared the same sentiment.

The monks who journeyed to Joseon harbored a story of their own.

They were monks affiliated with the Franciscan Order. However, they were also adherents of Roger Bacon’s teachings.

Consequently, much like Roger Bacon’s banishment, they existed in a state of semi-excommunication.

This motivated their voyage to Joseon, seeking a safe haven to pursue philosophical and mathematical studies.

Therefore, even if they were to forward the issue raised by Hyang to the Vatican, there was little prospect of it reaching the Pope, and even less of receiving a favorable response.

Ultimately, Angelo and his cohort were compelled to abandon proselytizing entirely.

Hyang’s stratagem to buy time and avert an East-West conflict unexpectedly yielded unforeseen benefits.